Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Somebody has turned TWO!

Hello, sweetheart.

You are my bundle of joy. You are my dazzling little ray of sunshine. From the moment you wake up in the morning, your whole body pulses with infectious energy and foot-stomping enthusiasm. You run from rail to rail in your crib, smiling and giggling, reciting our list of family names: "Aiya... momma, dadda..." Sometimes you decide it's important to engage in a little morning dance, so you raise your hands in the air and twirl in circles until you either fall down or crash into the side of your crib.

You are my tough and persistent one. You're not afraid of the big kids. Sometimes I think you believe you are one of the big kids. I've watched you navigate a playground full of rough, screaming children, and you remain completely unfazed. You watch ... and then push right past, not about to be deterred or left behind. You stand your own.

You stand your own with your sister too, and sweet Isabelle, you should probably know that we're on to you. Oh, your cute little disposition fooled us for a while, but we've learned that when you scream and push and yell, "NO!" you may very well just be looking to get big sister in big trouble while you coyly stand by. There may be five years between you, but I see you're catching on to this game quickly.

The list of nicknames for you is endless. I'm not sure you'll appreciate them all as you get older, particularly "Belly." But it's part of your name... sort of... and a part of you that you certainly love showing off.

But it must be said that you are our party girl. You are our daredevil. If there's a hip-hoppy tune, you'll bounce to it, and loudly complain if the next song's too slow. If there's a slide, you'll scooch down it and up it, a million times, every which way you can try. And if there's a chair, table, or bed, you'll free fall from it, trusting that we'll catch you every time, and laughing like a wild woman when we do. Oh you, don't you get such a mischievous look in your eye. A still, sideways glance accompanied by an ever-so-slight smirk, right before you dive off the bed or tear down the street, or jump into whatever it is that I just told you not. to. touch. You keep us on our toes, but if I'm honest, I'm completely in love with your wild and crazy ways.

Thank you for the snuggles tonight. Thank you for insisting that it be "Momma" that put you to bed, as you threw yourself onto my chest and cuddled right in. You squeezed in so tight, I thought you were trying to melt right into me. I love our nightly rituals... how you nuzzle into my shoulder as I pace the rug in your room, quietly singing you to sleep; how you lean towards the crib when you're good and ready for bed. You always lay on your belly, sticking your right thumb into your mouth and reaching your left arm back to find the softness of the blanket that I quietly spread over you.

And for twelve hours, your spunk and spirit take a little rest, re-fuelling for the adventures of the day to come.